Articles

I’m not an art collector with the exception of one painting. This painting was a gift to my father when he was the pastor of Calvary Evangelistic Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. The painter is JeanPaul Raymond, and the piece of art was made in 1975. The significance of this painting to me is due to the three birds standing in the water on the bottom of the painting.

Three has been a favorite number of mine for a long time–mostly due to the meaning of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Recently, this painting that hangs in my office above my computer monitor has an additional meaning. There are more than three birds in the painting, but the others are flying in the air. Now, I enjoy counting the birds especially on days when I want to worry.

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you–you of little faith!” Luke 12:25-28

Any day we wake up we can find a reason to worry. No matter where we live, no matter our profession, no matter our economic status or even the country where we call home…worry finds us. We worry about our past. We worry about our future and in the process we miss out on finding peace for today. “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—He remains faithful forever.” Psalm 146:5-6

If we find ourselves in a state of worry, we need to take a moment and refocus our concerns. “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22)  A prayer I have recently embraced is a three word prayer: “Peace is here.” Jesus made His purpose clear in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Recently, our mission began planning to ship sponsored shoebox gifts to Haiti through a different channel of delivery. The process was new. The port of delivery was further south from our mission to divert the gifts from the gangs in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. When the 13 pallets of supplies left our office in Orlando, at first I worried. Then I heard the sound of a bird chirping; a reminder. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) To help shed the temptation to worry, I count the birds. Don’t rush. Pause, look, and see the birds, and then remember the truth found in Luke 12. When we worry we lose peace. ~Tim DeTellis


In October 2024, I became a grandfather for the first time! Earlier, on the day of her birth, I was speaking at a Sunday School class at Mission Hill Church in Tampa for their missions conference. Before I finished, the host asked me if I had any prayer requests? I knew my daughter was close to her due date so I said: “Please pray for my future granddaughter that she may find a personal relationship with Jesus.” In my heart, it was what I wanted most for my new granddaughter. 

From holding a newborn baby to attending funerals, life can bring experiences that remind us of the importance of knowing Christ. A co-worker, Seth Vanderdrift, recently spoke at his mom’s (Marlene) funeral and he was eloquent in sharing some funny memories and then picked up his mom’s Bible to read a verse she had highlighted: Ephesians 6:10-11, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” This Scripture speaks to me as a reminder of who is attempting to influence us. We are forever on a journey of guarding our hearts and minds while helping others seek the truth and peace in knowing Jesus. How can we influence them?

Do you know anyone who is an influencer? Do you follow an influencer? Many may say that they follow someone who has the power to change our choices and even our behavior based upon what they recommend. Maybe we do what they do because they are modeling for us a behavior. But wait…who is making the greatest influence in our lives for Christ’s sake?? The definition of an influencer is: a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the item on social media. The questions I am pondering are: Who are the influencers for Christ? Who influences me the most? 

Just over two years ago, I began meeting with a mentor who has become an influencer in my life. He has helped me reveal my blind spots in leadership and remain steadfast and focused on what matters most. Our conversations span from work related concerns to home and family life. Time with him has taught me that there is a great difference between being well known and known well. Jesus is well known but my personal challenge is to make sure He is known well in my life. What does it take to have influence? For you and me to have an influence it takes proximity and time spent with others. You don’t have to be famous to have influence. You have to be close to and invest time with the people you want to influence.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

My prayer is, “Dear Lord, may I not let self-doubt steal my strength for the purpose of being an influencer for You.” Today, may we ask the question, who are we influencing for Christ. ~Tim DeTellis


Driving on the dirt roads in Haiti requires four-wheel drive. Many times, growing up in Haiti, I found myself jumping out of our Toyota pickup truck and unlocking the tires so we could switch the vehicle into 4×4 mode and drive out of the mud. It’s not always that easy to get unstuck in life. We wish we could just flip a switch or turn on the all-wheel drive option in life…or could we?

Have you ever felt stuck? Wondered if you could make it through a difficult situation? Maybe there was a project you were working on or a difficult conversation you were in, and in your mind you questioned how you would find a way to resolve the issue. Sometimes, life throws us curve balls and we strike, but the next day we wake up and know we need to try again, but it’s still hard.

At four years of age, my son Luc decided he had an interest in electrical outlets and specifically, wanting to plug in lights. Well, this could be quite dangerous. I remember kneeling down in the kitchen and showing him how to gently plug and unplug an electrical cord. When Luc turned 13, he had programmed his first app to be published on the Apple app store. We were at a coffee shop and he was trying to upload the code to the Apple server for them to review his programming code. He was frustrated because the upload kept failing. Finally, I turned to Luc and said, “Ask God and try harder.” This little phrase became something we began to say to each other when we felt stuck. 

Personally, I find being stuck can also drive me deeper into a posture of prayer. Daily, we are surrendering to what’s next. We think we should know what is behind the next door. In faith we trust God to guide, and know in truth He is already wherever we go.

Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) Typically, many read this and think Jesus is giving you the key to do anything you set your mind to when this is truly a call to prayer. Jesus does not say what you will find; this Scripture guides us to “what’s next.” Through Him, we can have confidence, as He already knows what’s on the other side of the door of our requests. Yes, there is also a tone of persistence and determination in these verses—yet the foundation is trust. 

I received a package in the mail for my birthday. Opening the box revealed a surprise from my son Luc. It was a wooden sign with the words: “Ask God and try harder.” Today, that sign is a daily reminder as it sits on a bookshelf in my office. It’s like turning on the four-wheel drive in my heart and mind to trust God whenever I feel stuck. He can pull me through even when I feel too confused. God’s wisdom gives clarity when we ask Him and then try harder. He alone can lift us up. ~Tim DeTellis